A heavy hitter at Somerset High and then at Bridgewater State University, Bustin was the pitching coach at the Community College of Rhode Island and then associate head coach at Rhode Island College before taking the Durfee job for the 2005 season.

He is the teacher-in-charge for the Durfee physical education department.

“He’s a classy guy,” said Victor Pereira, Durfee’s director of athletics. “He’s very knowledgeable about the game and about teaching life lessons. He’s an excellent coach, but he’s a better person. He gets it.”

Bustin said he derived the most pleasure from working with players who loved the game. Players who aspired to play in college could count on his strong support in that quest.

“It was rewarding,” he said. “I really liked working with the kids that were passionate about baseball like I was. I liked working with kids who wanted to get better.”

Pereira said the search for a new head coach will likely begin at the start of the school year.

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